Mrs. Margaret Sant, who was a resident of the tented city of Dunnville, where present Banida (map) is located some ten miles north of Preston, described the town as follows:
In the summer of 1876 Utah Northern extended its line. The Terminus was just on the north side of the Nathan Smith farm, where a town of tents and lumber houses sprang up as if by magic. The town was called Dunnville, after one of the railroad officials. It was a very busy railroad camp and there were stores, boarding houses, saloons, blacksmith shops and everything that goes with a thriving town. All freight for Montana was loaded there. The same summer of 1876, there was a great boom of the Caribou mines, ninety or a hundred miles north of Soda Springs. And there was a great deal of travel through Gentile Valley. Dunnville flourished through 1877 and in 1878 the terminus of the railroad was made at Oneida in Marsh Valley and Dunnville died a natural death, but while it was alive there was a great deal of business done, which helped the people a great deal. It made a good market for butter, eggs, cheese and vegetables. Fred J. Kisel of Ogden had a very large tent filled with all kinds of canned goods and groceries, with both a wholesale and retail department. Mr. C. Lewis had a hotel in a large tent and several small ones. Nathan Smith had a good sized boarding house and a good many others had eating houses for the time it lasted. It was a very busy place as the Caribou mines were booming too.